A Little Christmas Cheer
by EpitomeofDistraction
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and Remus wants to read The Night Before Christmas. Pretty much a story to show how nerdy I am...I mean Remus...how nerdy Remus is. Oneshot MWPP era


A Little Christmas Cheer

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, or any of the other characters. I don't own anything you've read in the books. They all belong to Madame J. K. Rowling.

OoO

'_Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house_

_Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;_

_The stockings all hung by the chimney with care_

_In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there—_

"What in the bloody hell is this rubbish?" Sirius asked roughly, gesturing toward the open book in Remus' hands.

Remus looked patiently up at the black-haired boy, and answered, "It's Clement Clark Moore's famous poem that redefined Christmas for the world." He looked back down at the page and continued:

_The children were nestled all snug in their beds,_

_While visions of sugar-plums danced through their heads—_

"Now wait a moment. You're telling me that a bunch of lines about mice not moving and freakish little kids sleeping changed Christmas? That's absurd."

Remus put his book down onto his lap. "No it's not. Christmas used to be outlawed in parts of England and America, when America was an English colony. It slowly crept back, however, into our culture, and America's. But instead of being all about partying and revelry, like it had been in the past because of it's pagan beginnings, it was being slowly reinvented for a more Victorian era. It became about family and doing good and creating cheer for our neighbors; this image of the holiday helped along by English and American authors, like Washington Irving and Charles Dickens. Clement Clark Moore took the old "Saint Nicholas" of the past, who was commonly depicted as a rather scary gnome-like creature, and transformed him into the jolly man we know him as today. He's now at the very heart of the holiday."

The three boys around Remus stared at him. "It's the truth," he said sheepishly.

Peter scratched his head. "So Christmas isn't, ya know, religious?"

"Well, it is. Religion definately plays a large role in Christmas past and present, but that part wasn't important to my story. Can we please continue reading now?" Remus took a sip of his hot cocoa and picked the book up again.

_And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,_

_Had just settled down for a long winter's nap—_

Sirius interrupted again. "Even if this story changed the whole bloody way we celebrate Christmas, it's boring as hell! Can't we do something more exciting, like spike the first-years' eggnog with fire-whiskey, or hang mistletoe over the bathroom doors?"

At this, Remus lost his patience. He slammed his book closed with a sharp clap and leaned forward, glaring daggers at Sirius. "Look. It is Christmas Eve, and I want a nice quite time spent with my friends! All year, you come up with crazy pranks and insane adventures that get us into trouble and leave little time to relax! Now, we're sitting in front of a gloriously blazing fire, next to a magnificent, sparkling Christmas tree, sipping hot cocoa under warm fleece blankets! So, it's either I read you this story, or I give you a detailed lecture of how the Christmas tree was brought to England, you get me?"

Sirius, not to mention poor James and Peter, stared wide-eyed at the golden-haired boy, pressed as far into the back of his over-stuffed chair as was possible. He managed a small nod.

Remus smiled and picked up the book, opening to the page he had left off on. "Good. Now where were we?"

OoO

**Epitome of Distraction**- Well, it started out as a fun prank story, at least in my mind. It changed when I tried to include a brief history of Santa Claus. I couldn't figure out to write my way back to the plot, so I've decided to write two stories: this one, and the one I was originally intending. That way, I get to write the fun, mischief-y story I want, and brag about how smart I am! What a grand solution!


End file.
